Phil Ochs – Crucifixion (Guitar)

Key
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Versions (2)

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Chords

[Verse 1]
   Em                                      D
And the night comes again to the circle studded sky

    G                                       Bm
The stars settle slowly, in loneliness they lie

          Am           D          G             Em
'Till the universe explodes as a falling star is raised

Am          D          G             Em
Planets are paralyzed, mountains are amazed

         Am       D                 G                 Em
But they all glow brighter from the brilliance of the blaze

         Am         D               Em
With the speed of insanity, then he dies.
[Verse 2]
   Em                                      D
In the green fields a turnin', a baby is born

    G                                       Bm
His cries crease the wind and mingle with the morn

          Am           D          G             Em
An assault upon the order, the changing of the guard

      Am           D          G             Em
Chosen for a challenge that is hopelessly hard

          Am           D          G             Em
And the only single sound is the sighing of the stars

         Am         D               Em
But to the silence of distance they are sworn
[Chorus]
   Em            C  D
So dance, dance, dance

Em
Teach us to be true

                   C  D
Come dance, dance, dance

          Em
'Cause we love you
[Verse 3]
   Em                              D
Images of innocence charge him go on

    G                                       Bm
But the decadence of destiny is looking for a pawn

       Am           D          G             Em
To a nightmare of knowledge he opens up the gate

       Am           D          G             Em
And a blinding revelation is laid upon his plate

          Am           D          G             Em
That beneath the greatest love is a hurricane of hate

      Am         D               Em
And God help the critic of the dawn.
[Verse 4]
   Em                                      D
So he stands on the sea and shouts to the shore,

    G                                       Bm
But the louder that he screams the longer he's ignored

      Am           D          G             Em
For the wine of oblivion is drunk to the dregs

          Am           D          G             Em
And the merchants of the masses almost have to be begged

          Am           D          G             Em
'Till the giant is aware, someone's pulling at his leg,

     Am         D               Em
And someone is tapping at the door.
[Chorus]
   Em            C  D
So dance, dance, dance

Em
Teach us to be true

                   C  D
Come dance, dance, dance

          Em
'Cause we love you
[Verse 5]
   Em                                      D
Then his message gathers meaning and it spreads across the land

    G                                       Bm
The rewarding of his pain is the following of the man

          Am           D          G             Em
But ignorance is everywhere and people have their way

    Am           D          G             Em
Success is an enemy to the losers of the day

          Am           D          G             Em
In the shadows of the churches, who knows what they pray

        Am         D               Em
For blood is the language of the band.
[Verse 6]
   Em                                      D
The Spanish bulls are beaten; the crowd is soon beguiled,

    G                                       Bm
The matador is beautiful, a symphony of style

  Am           D          G             Em
Excitement is estatic, passion places bets

   Am           D          G             Em
Gracefully he bows to ovations that he gets

          Am           D          G             Em
But the hands that are applauding are slippery with sweat

         Am         D               Em
And saliva is falling from their smiles
[Chorus]
   Em            C  D
So dance, dance, dance

Em
Teach us to be true

                   C  D
Come dance, dance, dance

          Em
'Cause we love you
[Verse 7]
   Em                                      D
Then this overflow of life is crushed into a liar

    G                                       Bm
The gentle soul is ripped apart and tossed into the fire.

          Am           D          G             Em
First a smile of rejection at the nearness of the night

      Am           D          G             Em
Truth becomes a tragedy limping from the light

          Am              D          G             Em
All the (canons|heavens) are horrified, they stagger from the sight

        Am         D               Em
As the cross is trembling with desire.
[Verse 8]
   Em                                      D
They say they can't believe it, it's a sacreligious shame

    G                                       Bm
Now, who would want to hurt such a hero of the game?

        Am           D          G             Em
But you know I predicted it; I knew he had to fall

          Am           D          G             Em
How did it happen?  I hope his suffering was small.

         Am           D          G             Em
Tell me every detail, for I've got to know it all,

        Am         D               Em
And do you have a picture of the pain?
[Chorus]
   Em            C  D
So dance, dance, dance

Em
Teach us to be true

                   C  D
Come dance, dance, dance

          Em
'Cause we love you
[Verse 9]
   Em                                 D
Time takes her toll and the memory fades

    G                                       Bm
but his glory is broken, in the magic that he made.

        Am           D          G             Em
Reality is ruined; it's the freeing from the fear

        Am           D          G             Em
The drama is distorted, to what they want to hear

          Am           D          G             Em
Swimming in their sorrow, in the twisting of a tear

       Am         D               Em
As they wait for a new thrill parade.
[Verse 10]
   Em                                      D
The eyes of the rebel have been branded by the blind

    G                                       Bm
To the safety of sterility, the threat has been refined

          Am           D          G             Em
The child was created to the slaughterhouse he's led

   Am           D          G             Em
So good to be alive when the eulogy is read

      Am           D          G             Em
The climax of emotion, the worship of the dead

     Am         D               Em
And the cycle of sacrifice unwinds.
[Chorus]
   Em            C  D
So dance, dance, dance

Em
Teach us to be true

                   C  D
Come dance, dance, dance

          Em
'Cause we love you
[Verse 1]
   Em                                      D
And the night comes again to the circle studded sky

    G                                       Bm
The stars settle slowly, in loneliness they lie

          Am           D          G             Em
'Till the universe expodes as a falling star is raised

   Am           D          G             Em
Planets are paralyzed, mountains are amazed

          Am           D          G             Em
But they all glow brighter from the briliance of the blaze

         Am         D               Em
With the speed of insanity, then he died.